


Deal

by ArchangelEquinox



Series: Lights, Camera, Inquisition [3]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: 30 Day NSFW Challenge, Alternate Universe - Reality Show, F/M, Literal Sleeping Together, Naked Cuddling, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:34:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22166461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArchangelEquinox/pseuds/ArchangelEquinox
Summary: The first night of Cullen's visit to Talia's apartment doesn't go quite how either of them expected.
Relationships: Cullen Rutherford/Female Trevelyan, Female Inquisitor/Cullen Rutherford, Inquisitor/Cullen Rutherford
Series: Lights, Camera, Inquisition [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/470548
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	Deal

“Hey,” she said, shifting gently so she didn’t jostle him. “Time to go.” 

Cullen squeezed his eyes shut under the harsh fluorescent lights and fought back a yawn. “Hm?” 

Talia rubbed his arm. “This is our stop.” He nodded, stubble scratching against her bare shoulder, and sat up to gather his stuff. She let her arm slide from around him as he stood to find his backpack. Somewhere above them, an automated voice announced the stop name, and a few scattered people started moving toward the doors. 

“You ready?” She glanced behind her. Cullen still looked more asleep than awake, but he nodded. 

They walked the short distance from the Metro to Talia’s building in near silence, Cullen’s hand in hers. He was yawning again by the time she unlocked her apartment, but he didn’t hesitate to drop his bag and pull her into his arms the moment the door closed.

“I missed you so much,” he said quietly. 

Talia hugged him a little tighter. “I’m really glad you’re here.” 

“Me too.” He kissed the top of her head and pressed his nose into her hair as if considering something. “Do you mind if I take a quick shower?” 

Talia leaned back to give him a confused look. “Why would I mind?” 

“I just got here.” 

“And you worked all day, you don’t like planes, and you’re covered in travel funk. Go shower,” she said, letting go to playfully push him toward the bathroom. “There are extra towels on the shelf. The faucet sticks - push it all the way to the left for hot water.” 

He gave her a grateful smile and a quick kiss. “Thank you.” She watched, amused, as he tugged his shirt over his head and nearly stumbled in the process. 

“Don’t hurt yourself,” she called. 

“I’m fine,” he answered. The door to the bathroom clicked shut. For a few moments, silence hung over the apartment until the water turned on, and she heard him close the shower door. 

Talia smiled - he was exhausted and grumpy and still sweet as ever, and she was so happy he was there. A weight she’d forgotten was there had lifted just at the sight of him standing there in baggage claim. She couldn’t wait to spend a week with him. 

Quickly she changed into her pajamas and grabbed her phone; Dorian had demanded she text him when Cullen arrived safely, “no matter the time, lovey.” Now, of course, his reply threatened to send the dog after Cullen in the morning for waking him, but she knew better. 

With a smile, she tucked herself into the corner of the couch to wait and wonder if it was ridiculous to miss someone who was currently in the same apartment. Just how much she felt his absence was so hard to articulate when he was in Kirkwall doing something so important -- the mages there had banded behind Orsino, and even though he and Meredith had both died in the aftermath of the Chantry explosion, the city was still in chaos. 

Every channel in Thedas seemed to show nothing but footage of the fallout, and Talia had watched every minute, mouth open in horror. 

She’d seen Cullen on the news a few times, mostly in the background but once front and center, talking about a group of rogue Templars who had tried to blow up part of the Gallows in retaliation. He never stuttered on TV; she didn’t know if that was just for her or if he was simply uninterested in weighing his words to the press. He sounded like a different person from a thousand miles away. 

She both accepted and hated it -- he was alive and safe if he was on the news, but it meant that he’d yet again lived through the unthinkable. 

Just as she was starting to feel morose, the water turned off. He hadn’t been kidding when he said a quick shower. She listened to him fumble around the bathroom for a while before there was the tell-tale thump of a wet towel hitting the floor. The bathroom door creaked open, and then she heard the bed bounce a little as he sat down. 

“Cullen?” 

“Yes?” His voice was muffled. 

Curious why he wasn’t coming back out into the living room, Talia stood and tossed her phone aside. “You okay?” 

“Mmhm.” 

She walked into the bedroom to find him slumped face-down on the covers, mostly asleep and totally naked. A giggle popped out before she could stop it. 

Cullen groaned. He started to sit up, mumbling apologies, but before he could make it upright, Talia made an executive decision and turned out the lights. 

“Talia?” 

“Hang on.” She darted back to the living room to grab her phone and make sure the front door was locked. Back in the bedroom, she quickly stripped off her clothes and slid in beside him. 

“I’m sorry I’m so tired,” he began as she pulled a thin blanket over them. “It’s been a long week, and--” 

“And it’s almost 2am,” she finished, pressing herself against his back. She tucked an arm around him, enjoying the warmth radiating off his skin as she rubbed his chest. Maker, she’d missed him. 

He made an unhappy noise. “Understood.” There was a long pause. Talia had just started to think he’d fallen asleep when he spoke. “Where’s the dog?” 

She smiled into his shoulder. “With Dorian. You’ll meet him tomorrow.” Cullen nodded. Abruptly he rolled over and wrapped himself around her. 

“I love you,” he said simply, tucking his face into her neck. His hair was damp and ruffled and going up her nose. One leg rested just a little too heavily across hers, and she had no doubt she’d wake up overheated before the night was over. She wouldn’t trade it for anything in Thedas. 

“I love you too.” 

Something poked her in the leg as he shifted. “You’re naked,” he announced, voice thick with sleep. 

“So are you.” 

He opened one eye and squinted at her, considering, before closing it again. “I wish I wasn’t too tired to do something about it.” 

Talia snorted out a laugh. “I’ll still be naked in the morning.” 

“Deal.” His breathing slowly evened out, and she relaxed, letting his presence soothe her to sleep.


End file.
